Great War truck Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 These photographs are copyright of the Imperial War Museum and are published here with their permission under their non-commercial licence. This Thorny has fallen through the wagon floor: © IWM (Q 49877) Direct hit on this poor Thorny © IWM (Q 10659) Dennis slid off the road © IWM (Q 10395) Repair park in Italy I think © IWM (Q 26238) Dennis again © IWM (Q 10394) Not quite sure what that was © IWM (Q 88677) Albion on fire at Salonika © IWM (Q 32811) Another Thorny. Hit by a train this time © IWM (Q 10117) Well mangled Albion © IWM (Q 10118) Half a Dennis © IWM (Q 5877) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted October 16, 2013 Author Share Posted October 16, 2013 Not sure what that is. Double tyres (as per the Crossley discussion)on the front wheel may have caused it to go over. © IWM (Q 8882) Leyland mail truck having received a direct hit © IWM (Q 10118) Maudslay. No doubt the driver is trying to explain what happened. © IWM (Q 8860) Not certain what that is, but parked in an interesting way. © IWM (Q 2918) Rebuilt Thorny with a leaky hub. Photo reversed. © IWM (Q 10111) Mobile repair unit changing axle © IWM (Q 10414) MRU in action again © IWM (Q 26245) Repair park. Loads of toys to play with. © IWM (Q 26214) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Herbert Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 What super photos, thank you for sharing them. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Interesting to see that the Thorny' with the leaky front hub is a left hand drive model ........... and that the sign on the YMCA building has been painted in reverse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Thanks for posting These pictures give a different perspective than normal, for me I can now see how the under tray is made and fitted to a Crossley. I do like the images of WW1 breakdown lorries. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynx42 Rick Cove Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 (edited) What really great photos. Tim. It is not often that we can see such detail. Richard, Tim did say that the photo had been reversed. Photo numbers IWM (Q 26238) and IWM (Q 26214) are taken at the same place, just at different times. The bonnet on the Vauxhall has been removed etc. etc. (Tim, you might have put an incorrect photo number on two of the photos. There are two IWM (Q10118)'s. I noticed it when I went to refer to the following. I think Post *2 should be IWM (Q 10116).) The axle in the foreground in Post *1. IWM (Q 10118) is from an Albion A10. The Albion in Post *2. IWM (Q 10116) is after 1916 as the Albion Logo was not used until 1917. It also seems to be missing the tow hooks from the front spring hanger. My A10 is also missing those tow hooks and the shackle pin isn't long enough to fit them onto as the pin goes through both sides of the hook, through the spring hanger and the spring. I have long been looking for a set to fit to mine but maybe now I have proof that not all Albions had them. Regards Rick. Edited October 17, 2013 by lynx42 Rick Cove more info from photo numbers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Looking at Q 26245 Is this breakdown lorry fitted with an additional axle? and what is the trumpet type thingy adjacent to the winder? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 The trumpet thing is a spotlight to assist recoveries in the dark. There is indeed a second axle. It is to assist the recovery of those vehicles which have lost theirs in an accident. The BL marking indicates that it was photographed during the Italian campaign as no doubt does the original caption which I did not reproduce. if I get some time later on I will post up some more pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Out of intrest, do you know if damaged vehicles were stripped for spares? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 Nothing was wasted. Every vehicle coming into the workshops was totally stripped down and the components used again. The aim was for new rebuilt trucks to come out of the Heavy Repair workshops. If a chassis was damaged beyond salvation then all components would be removed repaired and made ready for reuse. I would think that all but the few totally destroyed chassis could be repaired. The Heavy Repair workshops must have been an interesting place to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted October 18, 2013 Author Share Posted October 18, 2013 These photographs are copyright of the Imperial War Museum and are published here with their permission under their non-commercial licence. Carrying on the same theme these first two photos show foundry work at the Heavy Repair workshops. The last one is a mixture of general fitting work. It looks very similar to the fitting shop at Avimo where I once worked. © IWM (Q 9135) © IWM (Q 9134) © IWM (Q 9137) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Herbert Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 (edited) Another bunch of great photos Tim. The amazing thing is that the middle photo could have been a photo of Foden's foundry when I worked in there in the early 1970s, even to what the men were wearing and the junk piled up round the edges. It realy brought back memories! In the top photo they seem to be making the castings for their own machine tools,and quite big ones too. I think the big round things one on top of the other are tables for big radial drills (used instead of box tables for sitting bigger things on). Thanks, David Edited October 18, 2013 by David Herbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nz2 Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 These foundry photo lead me to another question. When the British Army established these foundries and repair workshops were they using established French sites or was it a completely new site. I would have thought the French Foundries etc would be busy repairing and rebuilding their own items let alone have spare capacity to accommodate any additional British work. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted October 18, 2013 Author Share Posted October 18, 2013 I understand that they built new foundries when they set up the heavy repair shops. I don't think the French were able to or inclined to hand over theirs. The first foundry photograph looks like they are making new tyre press components. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted October 18, 2013 Author Share Posted October 18, 2013 These photographs are copyright of the Imperial War Museum and are published here with their permission under their non-commercial licence. Here are a few more photos for your enjoyment. This looks like a French army Mors. © IWM (Q 8333) An diverse mix of stuff requiring a rebuild © IWM (Q 8838) An interesting recovery exercise for this Leyland. Surprised it didn’t go over. © IWM (Q 10886) Not sure what that was, but I would say it was beyond repair now © IWM (Q 6846) New rad required for the Daimler © IWM (Q 8828) Thorny J in trouble again. Strange how Thornys seem to feature a great deal in these photos © IWM (Q 7054) Another one of the Karrier needing a new front axle © IWM (Q 10413) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Thanks for a really interesting thread Tim, I think the Leyland might actually have been over and they have just got it back on to its wheels but held by all the props. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 © IWM (Q 8838) An interesting recovery exercise for this Leyland. Surprised it didn’t go over. hi Tim, The photo of the Leyland down the bank, the number on the scuttles of the two lorries, they must identify the units I imagine as they align with a list of ASC units on this website ; http://www.1914-1918.net/asc.htm In answer to a question on the Heavy Repair Shops in France, they are listed on the site, one was in Paris. regards, Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Is that an early Fowler in Q8828 Tim?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hair Bear Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Is that an early Fowler in Q8828 Tim?? First thing I thought was a Fowler Gyrotiller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted October 19, 2013 Author Share Posted October 19, 2013 That is a Holt 75 gun tractor. Quite a nifty machine. I will post some more pictures of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted October 19, 2013 Author Share Posted October 19, 2013 These photographs are copyright of the Imperial War Museum and are published here with their permission under their non-commercial licence. Another Holt 75 in action. This time recovering a Leyland. © IWM (Q 32895) Same Leyland and Holt. Different angle © IWM (Q 32897) Another Mobile Repair Unit. Unusual camouflage scheme and lots of picks and shovels on the side to aid recovery. © IWM (Q 26242) And another one © IWM (Q 26236) You can see the spare axle quite well on this one © IWM (Q 26237) © IWM (Q 26246) French in Salonika © IWM (Q 32865) More French © IWM (Q 32568) Mobile tyre press. Not something that usually has much mobility of its own. I think it might be on a trailer which they have then boxed in. © IWM (Q 9059) Another shot of it. Compare the two metal plates with the foundry photo? © IWM (Q 9058) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon_M Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Looking at the tyre press images, given the height, width, drop down into it and staging in front, I'd suggest it was built onto a railway wagon and then roofed over like a shed. I don't see anything that would rule out a railway wagon , given the distance to the building behind and relative heights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 The building behind marked Menage, Lit: Carousel) also means a horse riding school. I'd agree the press could well be a railway mount. Would make sense as heavy equipment was often run on rail lines around the support lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flandersflyer Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 These photographs are copyright of the Imperial War Museum and are published here with their permission under their non-commercial licence.Carrying on the same theme these first two photos show foundry work at the Heavy Repair workshops. The last one is a mixture of general fitting work. It looks very similar to the fitting shop at Avimo where I once worked. © IWM (Q 9135) © IWM (Q 9134) © IWM (Q 9137) check out the chinaman in the bottom left of pic 3...lol... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Herbert Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 (edited) Sorry, been away for a couple of days. I definately agree that the big round castings in the top photo of the foundry are the two main castings of a tyre press. I thought that they were the same with something else leaning against the bottom one but of course that is the location for the steel upright that holds the top up (or down when in use!). Can anyone see what is written on those castings just left of the mounting lug? The press shown in the mobile press photos is possibly surrounded by decking so that wheels can be rolled straight off the trucks that brought them. If the press itself were mounted on a railway wagon I think that it would be rather higher off the ground though it could be a specialy designed wagon rather than a normal flat with the press just sitting on its bed. David Edited October 20, 2013 by David Herbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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